Rick Will Be A Stronger Leader In Season Three Of The Walking Dead
Season three of The Walking Dead is quickly coming upon us. After a faulty start to season two, the series recovered with a strong second half and season finale. We now find our group of zombie survivalists on the run after their safe haven farm had gone up in flames. It’s only a few weeks until the Comic-Con panel for the popular AMC TV series and showrunner Glen Mazzara and graphic novel creator Robert Kirkman are already teasing the possibilities and direction of season three.
In an interview with TVGuide.com, the pair talks about the criticisms of season two, the introductions to new characters like Michonne (Danai Gurira), and how the events of the season two finale will make Rick (Andrew Lincoln) a better leader.
The series’ zombie-like pace was a big turn off for viewers at the beginning of season two but after the show’s mid-season hiatus, The Walking Dead seemed to rebound from the group’s non-stop search for their youngest member, Sophia (Madison Lintz). Mazzara points out once the group finds the zombie-Sophia in the barn, the show picked up its pace as it headed for the end zone. This won’t be a problem in season three. Mazzara goes on to say, “There’s too much going on, I can’t take it, it’s too exciting!” The writers and cast of The Walking Dead will hit the ground running in season three and there won’t be time to slack off.
At the end of season two, a mysterious figure emerged, leaving fans of the comic book series to automatically point out the appearance of Michonne, a tough African-American woman armed with a samurai sword. Mazzara joins this fan favorite with an established character, Andrea (Lauren Holden). This is a diversion from the comic book series but makes for an exciting pairing. Andrea is not a favorite so it would be good to team her up with someone who is. This would make viewers more sympathetic to her character. Mazzara believes this will give a good opportunity for the series to have a strong female perspective.
Rick has always been the leader of the survivalist group. His leadership has been in conflict with Shane (Jon Bernthal). But now that Shane is dead, season three will strengthen his leadership skills but will come into conflict with Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) as they both grieve Shane’s death. He will now give his son Carl (Chandler Riggs) more responsibilities as a member of the group. Carl will no longer be a boy playing off in the background. Expect Carl to kill more zombies this season. But the real conflict will come when the character of Merle (Michael Rooker) returns. Merle will be back but it is unclear if he will be joined with The Governor (David Morrissey) or if he’ll be on his own. Either way, his missing hand will be a constant reminder of Rick’s actions towards him in season one. Look for revenge!
Season three of The Walking Dead will return this fall but there will be more information about the season at Comic-Con this year. AMC will most likely premiere an extended trailer of season three in San Diego and it will only build anticipation for the season premiere. But more importantly, we all want to know what’s going on with T-Dog in season three.
